Caregiver Stress and Burnout



Caregiver Stress and Burnout

The demands of caregiving can be exhausting and overwhelming—especially if you feel that you’re in over your head or have little control over the situation. But there are steps you can take to rein in stress and regain a sense of balance, joy, and hope in your life.

What is caregiver burnout?

While caring for a loved one can be very rewarding, it also involves many stressors. And since caregiving is often a long-term challenge, the emotional impact can snowball over time. You may face years or even decades of caregiving responsibilities. It can be particularly disheartening when there’s no hope that your family member will get better or if, despite your best efforts, their condition is gradually deteriorating.

If the stress of caregiving is left unchecked, it can take a toll on your health, relationships, and state of mind—eventually leading to burnout, a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion. And when you get to that point, both you and the person you’re caring for suffer.

That’s why taking care of yourself isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. Cultivating your own emotional and physical well-being is just as important as making sure your family member gets to their doctor’s appointment or takes their medication on time. 

Signs and symptoms of caregiver stress and burnout

Learning to recognize the signs of caregiver stress and burnout is important, so you can take immediate action to prevent things from becoming worse and start improving the situation for both you and the person you’re caring for.

Common signs and symptoms of caregiver stress

  • Anxiety, depression, irritability
  • Feeling tired and run down
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Overreacting to minor nuisances
  • New or worsening health problems
  • Trouble concentrating
  • Feeling increasingly resentful
  • Drinking, smoking, or eating more
  • Neglecting responsibilities
  • Cutting back on leisure activities

Common signs and symptoms of caregiver burnout

  • You have much less energy than you once had
  • It seems like you catch every cold or bout of flu that’s going around
  • You’re constantly exhausted, even after sleeping or taking a break
  • You neglect your own needs, either because you’re too busy or you don’t care anymore
  • Your life revolves around caregiving, but it gives you little satisfaction
  • You have trouble relaxing, even when help is available
  • You’re increasingly impatient and irritable with the person you’re caring for
  • You feel helpless and hopeless

While caring for a loved one will never be stress-free, the following tips can help you to lighten the load, avoid the symptoms of caregiver burnout, and find more balance in your life.

Avoid caregiver burnout by feeling empowered

Feeling powerless is the number one contributor to burnout and depression. And it’s an easy trap to fall into as a caregiver, especially if you feel stuck in a role you didn’t expect or helpless to change things for the better. But no matter the situation, you aren’t powerless. This is especially true when it comes to your state of mind. You can’t always get the extra time, money, or physical assistance you’d like, but you can always get more happiness and hope.

Practice acceptance. When faced with the unfairness of a loved one’s illness or the burden of caregiving, there’s often a need to make sense of the situation and ask “Why?” But you can spend a tremendous amount of energy dwelling on things you can’t change and for which there are no clear answers. And at the end of the day, you won’t feel any better. Try to avoid the emotional trap of feeling sorry for yourself or searching for someone to blame.

Embrace your caregiving choice. Acknowledge that, despite any resentments or burdens you feel, you have made a conscious choice to provide care. Focus on the positive reasons behind that choice. Perhaps you provide care to repay your parent for the care they gave you growing up. Or maybe it’s because of your values or the example you want to set for your children. These deep, meaningful motivations can help sustain you through difficult times.

Look for the silver lining. Think about the ways caregiving has made you stronger or how it’s brought you closer to the person you’re taking care of or to other family members.

maison container maison conteneur maison modulable habitation écologique maison flottante commerce ephemere commerce container magasin container piscine container maison container maison conteneur maison modulable habitation écologique maison flottante commerce ephemere commerce container magasin container piscine container maison container maison conteneur maison modulable habitation écologique maison flottante commerce ephemere commerce container magasin container piscine container maison container maison conteneur maison modulable habitation écologique maison container maison conteneur maison modulable habitation écologique maison flottante commerce ephemere commerce container magasin container piscine container maison container maison conteneur maison modulable habitation écologique maison flottante commerce ephemere commerce container magasin container piscine container maison container maison conteneur maison modulable habitation écologique maison flottante commerce ephemere commerce container magasin container piscine container maison container maison conteneur maison modulable habitation écologique maison flottante commerce ephemere commerce container magasin container piscine container maison container maison conteneur maison modulable habitation écologique maison flottante commerce ephemere commerce container magasin container piscine container maison flottante commerce ephemere commerce container magasin container piscine container maison container maison conteneur maison modulable habitation écologique maison flottante commerce ephemere commerce container magasin container piscine container maison container maison conteneur maison modulable habitation écologique maison flottante commerce ephemere commerce container magasin container piscine container maison container maison container maison conteneur maison modulable habitation écologique maison flottante commerce ephemere commerce container magasin container piscine container maison container maison conteneur maison modulable habitation écologique maison flottante commerce ephemere commerce container magasin container piscine container maison container maison conteneur maison modulable habitation écologique maison flottante commerce ephemere commerce container magasin container piscine container maison container maison conteneur maison modulable habitation écologique maison container maison conteneur maison modulable habitation écologique maison flottante commerce ephemere commerce container magasin container piscine container maison container maison conteneur maison modulable habitation écologique maison flottante commerce ephemere commerce container magasin container piscine container maison container maison conteneur maison modulable habitation écologique maison flottante commerce ephemere commerce container magasin container piscine container maison container maison conteneur maison modulable habitation écologique maison flottante commerce ephemere commerce container magasin container piscine container maison container maison conteneur maison modulable habitation écologique maison flottante commerce ephemere commerce container magasin container piscine container maison flottante commerce ephemere commerce container magasin container piscine container maison container maison conteneur maison modulable habitation écologique maison flottante commerce ephemere commerce container magasin container piscine container maison container maison conteneur maison modulable habitation écologique maison flottante commerce ephemere commerce container magasin container piscine container maison container

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Living Well with a Disability

Image
Living Well with a Disability Adjusting to life with a disability is never easy, but there are ways to help yourself cope with limitations, overcome challenges, and build a rewarding life. Making the adjustment Adjusting to life with a disability can be a difficult transition. We all tend to take our health for granted—until it’s gone. Then, it’s all too easy to obsess over what we’ve lost. But while you can’t go back in time to a healthier you or wish away your limitations, you can change the way you think about and cope with your disability. You are still in control of your life! There are many ways you can improve your independence, sense of empowerment, and outlook. No matter your disability, it’s entirely possible to overcome the challenges you face and enjoy a full—and fulfilling—life. Most of us expect to live long, healthy lives. So when you’re hit by a disabling illness or injury, it can trigger a range of unsettling emotions and fears. You may wonder how you’ll ...
Read more

Pakistani Researchers Uncover Secret Data Sharing By 16 Facebook Apps

Image
Pakistani Researchers Uncover Secret Data Sharing By 16 Facebook Apps A team of Pakistani researchers at the University of Iowa and Lahore University of Management and Sciences (LUMS) has caught as many as 16 Facebook apps secretly sharing user data with third-parties. Using a technique named CanaryTrap in conjunction with Facebook’s ad transparency tool, the study used ‘honeytoken’ emails to install Facebook apps and observe if the inboxes received any unsolicited emails from unknown senders. Honeytokens are fictitious data, tokens, or files that IT experts plant into legitimate databases to track data and detect any malicious activity. If data is stolen or leaked, honey tokens allow administrators to identify who it was stolen from or how it was leaked. In the context of the CanaryTrap study, unique email addresses served as honeytokens using which the academics registered new Facebook accounts. On Facebook’s platform, there are hundreds of thousands of third-party apps that have...
Read more